Outdoors Column

By Chris Schultz

Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal
& Howard Lake Herald, Minn.

June 29, 1998

Area lakes fishing report

If you've been in the same boat as me, there hasn't been
much in the way of fishing to report.

Like a lot of anglers, I'm not that interested in heading
to the lake when it's cold and rainy out. But when the weather is nice
and the bass, sunfish, and northern pike are biting, I'd almost give up
a professional baseball contract to wet a line.

The truth is the fish are biting, no major league scouts
have been beating down my door, and if I've had a good opportunity to spend
even half day fishing in the past month, I wish someone would have pointed
it out to me or at least told me to go when I had the chance.

Well, my father-in-law did that for last week. He rented
a cabin on Clearwater, near Annandale - we didn't have time for a longer
drive - and said we're going fishing for a few days.

He pointed out the opportunity, and as soon as I finish
this column that's where I'm headed. My chance has finally arrived and
in next week's column, I'll let you know how we did.

Other reports from the area have walleyes hitting on Collinwood
at night, Waconia giving up dandy bass at a good pace, and the western
bays of Lake Minnetonka producing sunfish.

Radtke's Bait and Tackle near Winsted reported: Crappie
action on Granite Lake has been excellent and Lake Ida has been giving
up sunnies on the south end near the high bank. Also on Ida, anglers have
been picking up a few small northern pike on sucker minnows.

Outdoor notes

Summer is officially here.

Many lakes in our area have already become very weedy.
As summer drags on, several lakes or certain portion of lakes like Mary
may become very difficult to fish because of the dense weed growth.

Don't wait any longer to plan your fall hunting trips.

The DNR is proposing changes to the September Canada
goose hunting season. An opportunity to hunt over water during part of
the September season may occur.

Pheasant chicks are out. In the past few weeks I've seen
several young broods of pheasants.

Get out the bug spray. When the sun goes down, the mosquitoes
have been coming out in hoards.